Trediz’s Weblog

Oprah Winfrey could be considered the most powerful woman in the world.  She always ranks high on Time Magazine’s annual most influential list.  Her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” has been on the air for more than twenty years and continues to dominate the ratings.  Oprah is also a huge humanitarian.  In 2007, she opened the “Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy,” for disadvantaged young girls in South Africa.  Oprah has also worked relentlessly trying to help the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

To add to her more than impressive resume, Oprah has also done some acting.  She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in “The Color Purple.”  Eonline’s Kristin Dos Santos recently revealed that Oprah would make a guest appearance on the NBC comedy “30 Rock.”  In the role, Oprah will play Tina Fey’s best friend.  Not that Oprah needs the PR, but I think that this was a good move for her.  This role will make people love Oprah more.  People will be able to see her comedic side.  If I were her publicist, I would encourage her to do more things like this, just to let people know that she has many sides to her.

This was a very smart move for NBC as well.  Oprah crosses many markets and has devoted followers who would watch her on anything.  This will bring a large diverse audience to “30 Rock” and could help them in the ratings.  If I were a publicist for “30 Rock,” I would try and get Oprah a multi-episode arc.  Oprah’s appearance would drive new viewers to “30 Rock,” and the brilliant writing and storylines would hook them.

Everyone knows that Beyonce Knowles is a musical superstar.  She burst onto the scene in 1997 with Destiny’s Child, and has proved she has what it takes to be a solo artist.  Beyonce has had numerous hit singles such as, “Irreplaceable,” “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy” and “Check on it.”  Like other musicians who have reached superstardom, Beyonce has also begun to build an empire.  She has a clothing line “House of Dereon” which she helps design with her mother, Tina Knowles.  She also has numerous endorsement deals with L’Oreal, Emporio Armani and Samsung.

Beyonce has also branched out into acting.  She made her acting debut in MTV’s 2001 musical, “Carmen:  A Hip Hopera.”  Since then, she has appeared in numerous films such as “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” “The Pink Panther” and “Dreamgirls.”  All of her movie roles have had similar musical themes; where she plays a singer.  Knowles mentioned that “Dreamgirls” was her chance to prove that she was an “actress.”  Being a huge Beyonce fan, I watched “Dreamgirls” and thought that she did a good job.  However it was reminiscent of her other musically inclined roles.  She had a few more dramatic parts but other than that, it was her typical singing role. 

Recently, Knowles was cast in two new movies.   Another musical “Cadillac Records” where she will portray famed jazz legend, Etta James; and a thriller “Obsessed.”  Beyonce signing up to star in “Cadillac Records” was not a surprise, since it involves a musical element.  But Knowles signing up to do a thriller were there would be no singing or dance numbers was a pleasant surprise.  I think that this was a smart PR move for Beyonce, because she will be able to show off her acting skills.  Until now she has not had a role were she is just acting.

Knowles has always said that she wants to be taken serious as an actress and I think she is on the right track with her role in “Obsessed.”  This role will hopefully open her up to a new market.  Producers and movie studios will be able to see that she can hold her own on screen without elaborate dance sequences and musical numbers, just raw acting.   

The past few years have not been the best for the former reigning queen of pop, Britney Spears.  She has been living a real life soap opera right before our very eyes.  With multiple trips to rehab, trips to psychiatric hospital, underwear battles, and divorce/custody battles, Britney’s life seems to be a plotline from “The Young and the Restless.”  With relentless bad press and constant stalking by the paparazzi, Spears’ professional life has also suffered.  Her 2007 album “Blackout” sold 290,000 copies in its first week.  These numbers may seem impressive to some people, but “Blackout” was Spears’ first album not to reach number one on the Billboard charts.  Also, Spears’ performance at the 2007 Video Music Awards, left critics and fans disappointed by her bad lip synching and poorly executed dance moves.  For the past two years, you couldn’t turn on the television or pick up a magazine without hearing about Britney’s daily routines and struggles.  Britney’s erratic behavior has even made headlines for “legitimate” news sources such as CNN and MSNBC.

Recently it was announced that Spears would guest star on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”  I must admit that when I heard this, I thought that it was a terrible idea.  Britney Spears couldn’t get good press if she paid for it.   I was left wondering why CBS would become associated with the train wreck that is Spears’ life.  But once the entertainment news shows got wind of Spears’ guest spot, it was nothing but good PR for Spears and “How I Met Your Mother.”  The stars of the CBS show had nothing but positive comments about Britney and her professionalism on set.  After hearing about Britney’s professionalism, I slowly got behind CBS’ decision to have Britney guest star.

From a PR perspective, I think that this was a smart move for Britney to do the guest spot.  It got people talking about her in a positive way instead of talking about her many personal problems.  Personally I watched the episode that aired on Mar. 24, 2008 and thought that Britney did a decent job.  She probably won’t be nominated for any Emmys or Golden Globes anytime soon, but it showed that she could be serious about her work.  Britney’s stint on “How I Met Your Mother” could also help her music career.  People who are uneasy about working with Spears would see that she is ready and willing to do the work.  Although I was skeptical at first, I think this was also a good PR move for CBS and “How I Met Your Mother.”  You can’t pay for the press that Britney brought the CBS show.  Britney’s episode was also the shows highest rated episode in its three-season run.

The third season of ABC’s hit show “Grey’s Anatomy” seemed to be rolling along smoothly.  The show was a runaway hit in the ratings for ABC and was always the talk around the water cooler the next day.  The shows popularity put all the actors and actresses on the A-list.  As we all know, once you arrive on the A-list, controversy will soon follow.  In October 2006, it was reported that there was an altercation on the set between cast mates Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington.  According to this report, Washington was upset about workers on “Grey’s Anatomy” being tardy.  It was also reported that Washington retaliated on Dempsey by getting in his face and yelling derogatory statements.  One of the statements was a homophobic slur that offended cast mate T.R. Knight and also prompted him to disclose his sexuality.  Immediately after the altercation became public, everyone at “Grey’s Anatomy” went into damage control and played off the fight as just “boys being boys” and “a family feud.”

Months following the incident, everything seemed to have calmed down on the “Grey’s Anatomy” set.  The cast and crew put the incident behind them and refused to talk about it in interviews and television appearances.  On Jan. 15, 2007 after winning the Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Series, things escalated once again.  When asked if he used a homophobic slur to refer to his cast mate (Knight), Washington commented that he didn’t call him a “faggot.”  This press conference brought back the “Grey’s Anatomy” drama that was once buried and eventually ended Isaiah Washington’s run on the hit ABC series.

Based on the mainstream media coverage that I found, an overwhelming majority presented Washington in a negative unfavorable manner.  In a New York Times article, the journalist quoted an ABC-Touchstone executive as saying “His actions are unacceptable and are being addressed.”  The mainstream media focused on the homophobic slur itself. Some of the mainstream headlines that I found were headlines such as, “Gay Slur Wasn’t Personally Aimed at T.R. Knight” and “Isaiah Washington Fails Anatomy, Mad as Hell.”

The accompanying photos of Isaiah Washington in the mainstream media were not flattering at all.  Many of the photos from Web sites such as TMZ made Washington look disturbed and angry. After the controversy, Isaiah Washington released several statements via his publicist apologizing relentlessly for actions.  In this crisis situation, there seemed to be comments coming from everyone.  The “Grey’s Anatomy” cast members were warned to be quiet on the matter, but Katherine Heigl (who I find incredibly annoying) had a few words to say about the situation.  According to People, Katherine was furious over Washington’s homophobic remarks and was “not okay” about how he treated T.R. Knight.  A conclusion that I drew from the mainstream news stories was that the media defined the crisis as an attack against homosexuals.  Based on the news coverage, Isaiah Washington was portrayed as being a homophobic person.

The majority of the blog coverage was similar to the mainstream media coverage in presenting Isaiah in an unfavorable light.  The blogs focused more on Isaiah Washington’s termination from “Grey’s Anatomy.”  The incident/slur was obviously mentioned but his termination and his reaction to the termination was the center of most blog posts.  Some of the blog entry titles that accompanied the controversy also focused on his termination and reaction.  One of Perez’s many entries was titled “Don’t Mess with This Angry Man.”  The pictures of Washington were not flattering at all from the blogs.  On one of the pictures, Perez drew devil ears on Washington emphasizing that he was “mad as hell.”  A conclusion that I drew from the blogs was that they defined the crisis as, a member of a popular television show being fired.  I came to this conclusion because the majority of the blogs focused strongly his termination.  On the majority of the blogs, Isaiah Washington was portrayed as an angry devilish person.

The mainstream media coverage and the blogs were similar when portraying Isaiah Washington unfavorably.  The blogs and mainstream media differed on the parts of the crisis that was emphasized.  Mainstream media focused a lot on the act and slur itself, while the blogs relentlessly focused on the termination and Washington’s reaction to the termination.

During the entire controversy, I thought that Washington and his publicist handled the situation very professionally.  The statements that Washington and his publicist released were very apologetic statements.  Washington and his PR team devised a great PR program in my opinion.  They had Washington meet with members of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation organization.  Washington also filmed a public service announcement which dealt with not discriminating based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.  This was a very unfortunate situation for Washington and his publicist, but I think that they did everything that they could to save his “Grey’s Anatomy” contract.  I would not have done anything differently.  In the end, Washington was let go from “Grey’s Anatomy,” but I think that the PR program was a step in the right direction for getting his career back on track.  The PR program has already seen results because Washington was offered a reoccurring role on the NBC series “Bionic Woman.”

Mainstream Media Sources www.tmz.com; www.nytimes.com; www.nypost.com; www.people.com; www.eonline.com; www.msnbc.com   

Blog Sources www.perezhilton.com; www.mediatakeout.com; www.concreteloop.com; www.popsugar.com    

The 2008 Grammy Awards this past weekend was one of the best award shows this season in my opinion.  There were numerous show-stopping moments that stood out.  Kanye West gave a touching tribute performance to his late mother, Dr. Donda West.  Alicia Keys and John Mayer rocked out; while Fergie put her “S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G” to bed and sang a great duet with John Legend.  Rihanna brought out her “umbrella-ella-ella-eh eh”; while the troubled Amy Winehouse got her act together (at least for a few hours) and performed her appropriately titled hits “Trouble” and “Rehab.”  But perhaps the moment that left me speechless was when Beyonce and Tina Turner brought down the house with a duet of “Proud Mary.”  Tina Turner, a legend approaching 70 years old showed that she still can bring it. While Beyonce proved she could hold her own on a stage with a music icon.

At the beginning of the performance, Beyonce did “broadway-ish” tribute to some of the most influential women in music.  Some of the names she mentioned were: Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, and Whitney Houston.  At the end of her introduction, she brought Tina Turner out as “The Queen.”  Beyonce’s referral to Tina Turner as the queen didn’t sit well with Aretha Franklin.  One day after the ceremony, Aretha and her publicist released a statement basically saying that Aretha didn’t appreciate Beyonce referring to Tina Turner as the queen when everyone knows that Aretha is the queen.

My personal opinion about this whole fiasco is that it was blown way out of proportion.  Everyone knows that Aretha Franklin is credited as the “Queen of Soul,” while Tina Turner is credited as the “Queen of Rock and Roll.”  I think there is enough room in the music industry for there to be several queens.  I would consider people like Diana Ross and Patti LaBelle to be queens as well.  I feel Aretha was being a bit ridiculous about the whole thing, considering that Beyonce mentioned her in her intro tribute.  If this was a PR stunt with Franklin and her publicist, I don’t think that it was successful.  Franklin was left looking like an egotistical diva that needed a lot of attention.  I guess once you have accomplished the things that she has you can have that attitude; however this made her look childish.

If I were Aretha’s publicist, I would just wait for this to blow over.  With other hot messes like Britney and Paris dominating headlines, the media will soon forget about this.  Releasing any statement might hurt the situation more.  I would urge her not to talk about it in interviews and appearances. I would then urge Aretha to keep producing hit soulful music so that she can back up the title that she claims she owns. 

2007 was not the best year for former “it” girl Lindsay Lohan. The “Mean Girls” star started off the year by checking into Hollywood’s posh rehab facility “Wonderland.”  Lindsay’s quick 30-day stint in “Wonderland” was the least of her worries in 2007. Later that year, Lindsay would check into rehab two more times, once at “Promises” and finally ending up at “Cirque Lodge.”  She was also arrested twice for DUI related charges and cocaine possession.

Amidst all of her personal problems, Lindsay’s professional career and image suffered greatly; the once “Disney-Darling” tarnished her good-girl image and her movies failed to find an audience.  Her 2007 films “Georgia Rule” and “I Know Who Killed Me” basically bombed at the box office and critics panned her performances.  Since checking out of her last rehab stint in October, Lindsay has been laying low and trying to avoid the paparazzi.  At the 2008 Grammy’s, “E! News” host Giuliana Rancic broke exclusive news that R&B star Ne-Yo would be contributing to Lindsay’s upcoming album.  Ne-Yo, who is an affluent singer/songwriter in the music industry, has written hits for Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna.  His most popular/successful song to date is Beyonce’s 2007 hit “Irreplaceable.”

I personally think that this is a smart move for Lindsay.  If she has a good album and shows that she is serious about working; this could get her back on the radar.  Lindsay is already a somewhat accomplished singer; her last two albums, “Speak” and “A Little More Personal-Raw” went platinum.  From a PR perspective, working with Ne-Yo could be what Lindsay needs to get her acting career back on track as well.  As I mentioned earlier, if Lindsay can focus on her album and show everyone that she is serious about working, it could pay off for her.  Hollywood studios that are skeptical about working with Lohan would also see that she is actually serious about getting better and working.  This could lead them to take a gamble and feature her in a future movie or television show. 

In order for Lindsay to accomplish this, she would need to actually take her work seriously.  As her publicist, I would urge her give up her old ways and solely focus all of her time and energy into working with Ne-Yo and producing a hit album.  I would encourage her to maybe curb her partying ways and go out maybe once or twice a week, instead of every night.

The Grammy Awards are set to take place this Sunday.  The ceremony is to include some of the top players in the music industry.  Musicians scheduled attend are:  Beyonce, Alicia Keys, The Foo-Fighters, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, and Mary J. Blige.  Because of the on-going writer’s strike and the Writer’s Guild of America’s reluctance to grant the Recording Academy a waiver, it was unknown if the Grammy’s would take place.  WGA members pleaded with singers who also classify themselves as actors to boycott the Grammy ceremony.  Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, and Queen Latifah are included in the singer/actor category.  Many of those celebrities released statements saying that they would support the writers and not cross picket lines, if the strike was not resolved and a waiver was not granted. 

 On Jan. 18, 2008, Beyonce’s management released a statement saying the Grammy-winning singer would in fact perform at the telecast with or without the writers.  In the weeks leading up to Sunday’s telecast, the WGA granted a waiver allowing striking writers to work on material for the big show.  However, Beyonce has critisim from many fan sites including ,www.mediatakeout.com, for agreeing to perform at the show without a waiver or a strike resolution.  Beyonce, who is an accomplished writer herself, has appeared in numerous films such as “Dreamgirls,” “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” and “The Pink Panther.”  In 2007, Beyonce received a Golden-Globe Nomination for her work as struggling singer Deena Jones in the broadway remake “Dreamgirls.”

 Because of the agreement between the WGA and the Recording Academy Beyonce will not be in jeopardy of crossing the picket lines, however by simply agreeing to cross could affect future acting roles.  If I were Beyonce’s publicist, I would start by releasing a statement saying:

  “Ms. Knowles’ decision to perform at the Grammy Awards was reached after much thought and deliberation.  She felt torn between her two occupations; the singer wanted to perform and support the Grammy’s and the actress wanted to support the writers.  Ms. Knowles has always expressed that she is a singer first and then an actress. She felt compelled to support the Grammy’s because they have supported her career since she released her first album in 1998.  Being a writer herself, Ms. Knowles has the utmost respect for the writers and their cause, and prays that the strike is resolved in a fair and timely manner.”

 Following the statement, I would then urge Beyonce to show her support by agreeing to participate in writer’s rally and picket with them.  I would then urge Beyonce to go to schools and colleges with a press team, and stress the importance of writing, because without it the entertainment industry would not survive.